A new leader for DISA

Danish-based DISA – part of Norican Group – has announced that Ulla Hartvig Toennesen will succeed Peter Holm Larsen as senior vice president of the DISA Centre of Product Innovation in Taastrup, Denmark. Her primary function will be the continuous modernisation and further development of the organisation, accelerating the time-to-market of new products and services. She will be responsible for carrying out the overall strategy and business development of DISA.

During the past year, Norican Group has consolidated and expanded its market position with the acquisition of two new companies. Ulla Hartvig Toennesen’s appointment comes at a critical point in the company’s journey, with a strategic growth framework in place that is set to create even stronger and lasting synergies across the Group, and further strengthen DISA in the process.

Toennesen joined DISA in 2004 as project co-ordinator, and from there she was promoted to head of product management and business development. In November 2007, she was appointed sales director – only to take on full responsibility of DISA’s global services as vice president in 2008. After 13 years with DISA, she now takes the baton as senior vice president, following Peter Holm Larsen who has been COO and president for a period of ten years.

Toennesen holds a Master’s degree in international marketing and management. Her profound understanding of business and knowledge of processes, combined with her deep understanding of DISA’s core expertise and customer landscape, made her the obvious choice for the role.

“Ulla has been a trusted member of my management team for a number of years, and she’s always been a strong driver and advocate for project and innovation excellence. During her years as head of global services, it’s been her mission to bring DISA even closer to the market and our global customer base. Her skill set, ambition and drive will take DISA to the next level. Both on behalf of the company and myself, I’m proud to hand over the baton to her”, says Peter Holm Larsen.

“There should be no doubt that this is my dream job”, Ulla H Toennesen said. “However, I take on the challenge with humility, because although I see the position as senior vice president of DISA as a unique opportunity to lift the huge potential of this company even higher, I’m no Peter Holm Larsen. He’s been an extreme value-add to DISA, and I not only consider myself fortunate to have worked closely with him for a number of years, I’m also very pleased that he’ll continue as part of the overall Norican management team, and that I’ll report directly to him in the future.

“I look forward to finding my own path to project and innovation excellence, which has always been my focus – just as I look forward to working with DISA’s management team and very skilled employees, in whom I have immense trust and faith.

“DISA has delivered moulding technology, machines, equipment and projects for many years, and, in my opinion, we’re extremely good at it. On top of this, we have a global customer base that is second to none, and it’s a daily privilege to work with them. Therefore, it is my goal that DISA should continue to exceed customer expectations by accelerating our time-to-market, professionalising our internal processes and improving external relations with other major market innovators, universities and institutions, so that we continuously shape the industry and provide additional value to our customers. To me, it’s about increasing and improving our ability to innovate – and to bring those innovations to the market at the right time.”

DISA’s new organisational framework includes placing the supply chain under the Norican Group umbrella and leadership, to achieve the highest possible level of synergy between the four brands (DISA, Italpresse Gauss, StrikoWestofen and Wheelabrator). Six regional sales and service organisations have been defined across the Group, taking on the responsibility of the complete Norican product portfolio and direct, daily customer contact. In this new organisational context, DISA becomes a centre of product innovation, responsible for innovation, and for delivering commercial and technical sales support to the regions. DISA retains responsibility for all engineering and project execution – from project management to commissioning of the moulding equipment – as well as product development, innovation and aftermarket support.

With the appointment of Ulla Hartvig Toennesen as senior vice president of DISA, Peter Holm Larsen takes on the position as president – parts formation within Norican Group, carrying the overall responsibility of three centres of product innovation for DISA, Italpresse Gauss and StrikoWestofen. www.noricangroup.com